Industrial, Commercial, Institutional

Under the new solid waste bylaw, Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI) properties are required to separate garbage, organics and recyclables into appropriate collection containers, without contamination, prior to disposal.

How to prevent odours to avoid attracting wildlife and rodents: To prevent odours to avoid attracting wildlife, keep the organic bin in a cool space, ask for more frequent collection and consider asking for bins to be washed or replaced. Make sure your garbage room is wildlife proof by keeping doors secured and bin lids down and locked at all times. Consider adding a seal to the bottom of your door.

Solid Waste Changes for ICI FAQ

Squamish sent an average of 676 kg of waste per person to the Squamish Landfill in 2016. A landfill audit in 2016 revealed that more than 65% of that waste going to the landfill could have been recycled or composted.

The requirement for multi-stream separation at industrial, commercial, and institutional properties is expected to reduce this number.

The requirement of clear plastic bags is intended to increase participation from those that do not presently divert recyclables or organic material from the waste stream.

Diverting waste will maximize the remaining life of the landfill, delaying further costly solutions. Learn more about the landfill expansion project.

An audit conducted in May 2016 revealed that more than 65% of materials ending up in the landfill could have been recycled. Organics collection in ICI properties should help divert up to 30% of the volume of garbage generated. The audit also identified on-premise sorting options as a significant factor in waste diversion.

The goal of the Zero Waste Strategy is to achieve an average 350 kg per person per year disposal rate by 2020 with a corresponding diversion rate of 75%. The diversion rate is how much waste is diverted from the landfill, and is either recycled or composted instead. Click here to learn more about the Zero Waste Strategy.